INTELLIGENT VEHICLE HIGHWAY SYSTEMS AND STATE SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY FOR TORTS

In contrast to the modern technical wizardry of Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS), sovereign immunity is a doctrine of common law which literally dates from the days when kings ruled. The sovereign, formerly the king or queen, is now in this country the federal, state and local government. The doctrine generally holds that the sovereign may not be sued or that the sovereign may not be held liable if it is sued. The sovereign immunity of these state and local governments for torts is an important issue for their advancement of IVHS. Highways and motor vehicles are one of the major sources of injuries to people in this country and give rise to overwhelming numbers of lawsuits. This paper analyzes the general rules of sovereign immunity and gives examples of varying approaches in different states, where that is applicable.

• Record URL:
  https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/16000/16500/16514/2WF01_1.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Nossaman, Guthner, Knox & Elliott

  50 California Street, 34th Floor
  San Francisco, CA  United States  94111

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Roberts, S N
  • Hightower, A S
  • Thornton, M G
  • Cunningham, L N
  • Terry, R G
• Publication Date: 1993-12-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices;
• Pagination: 40 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highways; Injuries; Intelligent transportation systems; Intelligent vehicles; Motor vehicles; Sovereign immunity; States; Tort liability; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lawsuits
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00815150
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: DTFH61-93-C-00087
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 15 2001 12:00AM